Why Green Tea Gets Bitter

Green tea contains catechins and other polyphenols that become bitter when extracted at too high a temperature or steeped for too long. Boiling water (100°C) releases too many bitter compounds too quickly. The solution is simple: cooler water and shorter steeping.

How to Brew Perfect Green Tea

  1. 1

    Heat water to 70–80°C

    Boil water then allow to cool for 3–4 minutes. Or use a temperature-controlled kettle set to 75°C. Japanese green teas (sencha, gyokuro) prefer the lower end (70°C). Chinese green teas (Dragon Well, Bi Luo Chun) can handle up to 80°C. If you do not have a thermometer: boiling water cooled for 3 minutes is roughly 80°C, 5 minutes is roughly 70°C.

  2. 2

    Use 1 teaspoon of loose leaf or 1 tea bag per cup

    For loose leaf: 2–3g per 200ml cup. For bags: one bag. Higher quality loose-leaf green tea is significantly more flavourful and can be steeped multiple times.

  3. 3

    Steep for 1–2 minutes

    Start checking at 1 minute. Remove the leaves or bag promptly when the desired strength is reached. Leaving leaves in longer than 2 minutes increases bitterness. Taste as you go until you find your preferred steeping time.

  4. 4

    Do not squeeze the tea bag

    Squeezing releases bitter tannins. Remove the bag gently without pressing it against the cup.

Multiple steeps from loose leafHigh-quality loose leaf green tea can be steeped 2–4 times. Each subsequent steep is slightly different — the second steep is often the smoothest and most flavourful. Add 30 seconds to each subsequent steep time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Traditionally green tea is drunk plain — milk significantly changes the flavour and masks the delicate notes. Honey complements green tea better than sugar if sweetness is desired. A slice of lemon can brighten the flavour but note that acidity increases tannin extraction and can make it more astringent.
Matcha (powdered green tea where you consume the whole leaf) has the highest concentration of antioxidants (catechins, L-theanine, EGCG). Gyokuro, grown in shade to increase chlorophyll and L-theanine content, is also very high in beneficial compounds. All green teas provide health benefits — brewing correctly at lower temperatures preserves more antioxidants than boiling water.